A Nightmarish Thing
by TheSilentTrowaBarton
Summary: Oneshot scenario Mai figures out where her mother really is from, and why she could never firebend. just another short story


A Nightmarish Thing

One-shot

A/N: So my friend and I had a decision about water benders :rolls around ripping her hair out: I don't like them very much. Well we got to talking about how you never see Mai or Ty Lee fire bend. So, we decided that Mai and Ty Lee can fire bend, but Ty Lee only can do it in spurts, and Mai all while being a great fire bender has dyslexia with her bending, so, when she makes a fire wall in front of herself, it appears behind her and so on. So, I decided, what happened if Mai's parents weren't even fire nation? OO HMMM??? You ask? Just read.

No flames please.

Disclaimer: I stiiiilllll don't own Avatar.

Mai swirled her finger around her cup as Azula chanted on about the formation that the group had taken against the Kyoshi warriors. "Splendid job ladies! I completely forgot to review this but now I realize how well we did."

Mai rolled her eyes as Ty Lee thanked her. After the drill incident, Azula had decided to go over most of their attack plans so nothing they did again would fail.

"Oh Azula! You were wonderful!" She looked over at Mai, "You too Mai! I never realized that you could fight so many people at once!"

Mai shrugged, "Something to do."

Azula nodded, "Yes, well, now that we have these infamous Kyoshi costumes, don't you think that this would be the perfect way to get into the city?"

Mai's eyes widened, "Please tell me you aren't going to make us wear these."

Azula's eyes narrowed, "Don't complain so much Mai, it's unbecoming."

Mai sighed, "Uck. It's going to suck for a lifetime though." Ty Lee giggled at the comment.

"Funny Mai!"

"Ty, you really don't want to wear these things do you?" Mai asked.

"Well, we do get to wear cute makeup." She smiled.

"You're already _cute_." Mai groaned, "Tell her not to make us wear these."

Ty Lee smiled at Mai, "AW! You're so nice!" She hugged her friend then sat back down.

"You won't be able to practice your goofy stunts in these things." Mai whined.

"Oh… I never thought about-"

"ENOUGH!" Azula chanted. "I've decided the plan, this is well enough for out path to victory."

Mai stood up, "Fine."

Azula eyed her, "Where are you going?"

"To the bunks. I'm going to get some rest." Mai sighed. "If I have to wear this thing, I want the energy to do it."

Azula nodded, "Fine, Ty Lee and I will get a messenger sent out, in the mean time, get over yourself Mai."

Mai smirked, "You first." And left the room.

"…wait…" Azula's face reddened when Ty Lee giggled at Mai's comment.

"Stupid trip." Mai mumbled as she swallowed down the rest of her tea. "This outfit goes against everything that I stand for." Mai paused, "What do I stand for?" She smirked for a moment, letting her mind wander from everything from Knives, to Zuko. "I guess that works." She muttered. She poured herself another glass of tea and sighed, swirling her finger around the lid of the tiny glass. "At least we aren't out at sea…" She looked down at her coup and watched the swirls. Mai wasn't sure what strong feeling she had against the water, but sure enough, she was intent on the genocide of the water nation just like all other fire benders. Mai took a sip of her tea and sat the cup back down, swirling her finger around the rim once more. She looked down into the glass and felt her stomach lurch when she noticed the swirls in her cup. She pulled her hand away from the cup, and smiled when the swirls died and began her ritual again. "I'm going crazy." Just as she spoke she noticed the waters movement had begun again. Her eyes widened, "…it's possessed." She lied to herself. She stood up and took steps back from the cup. "TY L….." She paused, no, Ty Lee would tell Azula if something really was up. And if she called Azula, Azula would think her mad, and throw her off the train. Mai sat down for a moment and stared at the cup. "…I must be paranoid." Mai stuck her hand outward and let her fingers droop, then pulled her arm upward. She gasped in horror as the water lifted out of the cup. It all made sense now, why she could never fire bend. It wasn't that she just didn't 'have it' like some, she wasn't even from the fire nation, was she? Had her parents lied to her? Is this why Ursa had protected her mother so well? Did Zuko's mother know of some odd family quirk? Or was it her father? No, she had seen him fire bend, it had to just be her. Mai looked around for a moment and stared at the puddle from raising the tea that was now on the floor, the image of her mothers face appearing over her own reflection. "Mother." Mai cursed her internally. Her face turned into a deep frown for a moment as her emotions went sour. She balled her fists and with all her might kicked the tea pot across the room, shattering it everywhere. All those years of 'magic' where she predicted every storm. Where she had 'made it rain' for Ty Lee and Azula when they hadn't wanted to go to aerobics at the Fire Nation Academy. …what if Azula and Ty Lee had known? No, how could they have noticed it and she not?

"Mai?" Ty Lee asked opening the door slowly, not peeking in. "Are you ok?"

Instinctively Mai threw her arm forward and all the spilt tea and water rushed against the wall, making it look like a water leak in the pipes. "come in." Mai muttered.

"Are you really that mad?" She asked quietly. "Azula's a bit concerned."

Mai shrugged, "It's not that."

"Oh… well… do you want to talk about it?" She smiled.

"…no."

"Oh… well, sometimes, when I'm upset, I talk to myself, and it really helps to get things off your chest." Ty Lee hugged her friend, "I'm here for you!"

Mai nodded at her, "Yes."

"…what is it?"

"I received a note, from Porei from the Academy. She …" Mai sighed, "What would you do if you found out that there was something wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with her Mai?" Ty Lee's eyes filled with concern.

"She's a water bender."

"OOOO!" Ty Lee smiled and grasped Mai's hands, "That's wonderful!"

"…it is?"

"YES!" Ty Lee smiled, then looked back at the door and kicked it shut. "Could you keep a secret?"

Mai just nodded.

"Now you can't tell Azula! EVER!"

Mai nodded again.

"Look!" Ty Lee pulled two coal stones from her pocket, "The other day, I was throwing rocks, and I kept noticing this odd curve on them, then all of a sudden." Ty Lee held her hand out and levitated the rocks in her hands; she moved her fingers and smiled brightly as they spun in a little circular track. "Ta-da!"

Mai's heart pounded and without thought, she grabbed Ty Lee's shoulder with a bewildered look on her face, then looked to the floor.

"Are you ok Mai?"

Mai let her friend go for a moment and nodded, shifting her hand in the air and balling the water that was in the corner up and pulling it toward herself keeping it afloat. "See."

"OH!" Ty Lee smiled, "That's wonderful! Can you bend ice?"

Mai shook her head, "I… don't think so no."

"Then maybe you only have some of the bending." Ty Lee perked, "My father was an earth bender, so I only got the ability to float and toss. I can't really raise rock from the earth and hold a stance very well."

"Why?"

"Dunno!" She smiled.

"Oh." Mai paused, "I can't fire bend."

"Only the Avatar can use more then one element Mai! Silly! Even I know that!"

Mai smirked, "are you calling me dumb?"

Ty Lee paused, not getting the crack, "Hu?"

"Never mind. Let's go get those stupid dresses on." Mai let the water drop to the floor and stood up.

"Goodie!"

A/N: heh-heh. Oh well, that was fun. Um, no flames, I hope it snows, and …fire flakes and hot cheetoes are still the same things. I dedicate this fic to my dad, because he bought me tea and fire flakes for dinner! I suppose that counts as a meal? (…I'm gonna starve to death.) oh, place bets, who thinks Mai eats that entire bowl of fire flakes in one sitting. (It's huge! I couldn't make a dent in it!) no flames please.


End file.
